How modern wind turbines work:

One wind turbine can produce enough electricity to power up to 1,500 homes. All wind turbines work the same way.


Above - A modern wind turbine and its internal workings.

Air moving around the surface of the blades creates a lift, just as it does on the wings of an aircraft. The lift on the blade of the wind turbine pulls it in a circular motion. The central shaft attached to the blades turns and drives a generator. Windmills work the same way, except that the shaft turns millstones instead of a generator. In wind-driven water pumps, the shaft enters a gearbox which drives a long vertical rod up and down in a reciprocating action. The rod is connected to a pump that is submerged. As the rod moves up and down, it operates a piston which pumps the water to the surface.

Above - the transportation of these often huge wind turbines requires much planning in order to get them to their final destination for assembly.

Individual designs use this principle in different ways. However, wind-turbine electricity generators share many common components. The generator components include:

• Tower - the tower raises the turbine assembly well above the tur­bulent air currents near the ground. Wind strength also in­creases with the height above the ground. The tower must be sturdy and able to withstand high wind speeds. It also needs to be easy to climb so maintenance can be performed.
  
  
• Rotor - this is the propeller, which as the word indicates is propelled by the wind, converting the wind energy into mechanical energy. The rotor is connected to the nacelle.
  
  
• Nacelle – located on the top of the tower, this is the capsule that contains the components of the wind turbine that convert the mechanical energy from the rotor into electrical energy.
  
  
• Gearbox - increases the slow rota­tional speed to a suitable speed for the generation of electricity.
  
  
• Turbine generator - this converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy. The electrical energy is then taken away by electrical cables for direct use or storage in the banks of batteries.
  
  
• Directional system - horizontal ­axis machines require a device which swings the machine into the wind. This is usually a tail as­sembly.
  
  
• Supporting facilities - include the connection with the power line net­work, service roads, fences and telephone link.

Next Section >> Wind energy around the world.

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